The 2015 Washington Manufacturing Awards were sponsored by Seattle Business magazine, and presented at a gala event April 29 at the Boeing Museum of Flight.

“It’s great to be honored as an up-and-coming manufacturer, more so for what it says about Washington’s thriving solar industry,” said Tim Bailey, Blue Frog co-founder. “So many people in our state are committed to a clean-energy future, and we’re pleased to help meet the demand for quality solar products while creating local jobs.”

Honorees in the 2015 Washington Manufacturing Awards were chosen by a panel that included leading executives from throughout the state’s manufacturing and business sphere.

“The winners were companies with innovative products who found ways to boost their competitiveness through improved manufacturing processes and effective marketing,” said Leslie Helm, editor of Seattle Business magazine. “It’s companies like these that remind us of the current strength and future promise of Washington’s manufacturing sector.”

Washington manufacturers account for 12 percent of the state’s economy and close to half of all its exports, Helm noted.

Bill Virgin, editor and publisher of Washington Manufacturing Alert and a member of the selection committee, said winning businesses in the competition shared a number of traits, including: a continuous record of innovation and improvement; an unwillingness to coast on legacy; enthusiasm for remaking the business, if that’s what customers, the market and competition call for; and attention to detail in internal operations.

Blue Frog Solar was founded in 2011 in Poulsbo, Wash., to bring the finest solar design and technology to the Pacific Northwest. Through the unique Simple Solar program, Blue Frog offers a complete solar financing, materials and installation package for residential and commercial PV systems. The Simple Solar program offers the best pricing, smoothest and most buyer-friendly process for installing Made In Washington solar arrays. See www.bfsimplesolar.com for information.

Mistake No. 1:

You don’t understand the voltages of microinverters in relation to modules. Microinverters operate in a specific voltage window, and give optimal performance with modules designed for the same range. Having an undersized or oversized module may affect production and potentially cause output “clipping.”

Mistake No. 2:

You think of monitoring as an “add-on” rather than an integral part of the system. The homeowner likes to know the solar array is working properly and efficiently, and the installer needs it to help diagnose problems (and possibly gives the installer a way to sell a service package). Some installers do not include monitoring in their installations, which leaves both installer and homeowner flying blind. Make monitoring a priority.

Mistake No. 3:

You install the gateway device in a poor location. Communication units that relay module performance data need to be sited properly to facilitate strong Power Line Communication between the PV system components.

Mistake No. 4:

You set up the communication unit incorrectly. Always make sure to designate inverter numbers and configure local grid parameters properly, to prevent crosstalk with other systems in the area.

Mistake No. 5:

You don’t know your local codes and jurisdictions. Some inspectors may be using 2008, 2011 or 2014 NEC codes, based on state adoption. This could affect the connections and any safety measures needed. Always make friends with the inspector.

Look for Blue Frog Solar on the NW Green Home Tour, April 26 in Seattle.

We’ll be onsite at the amazing Ballard Emerald Star Net Zero Home, built by our friends at Dwell Development.

Located just blocks from Ballard’s vibrant cultural core, this beautiful new home is topped with itek Energy’s Washington-made solar panels (using Blue Frog microinverters, of course) and will feature net-zero energy consumption, earning credits for energy sent back to the grid.

We expect this to be a very popular stop on the tour, with a gourmet food truck and maybe even ice cream – come by for lunch!

Meet the Blue Frog team and find out more about our Simple Solar program, and how you can put the power of Washington-made solar to work for you.

Find out more on the NW Green Home Tour and Dwell Development’s outstanding Ballard Emerald Star Net Zero Home right here .

Blue Frog Solar has been selected for honor by Seattle Business magazine in its annual Washington Manufacturing Awards competition.

Blue Frog is one of three finalists in the Emerging Manufacturing Company of the Year category for 2015.

The top awards will be announced and winners feted at a gala dinner April 29 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

“We’re very pleased to be selected for recognition by Seattle Business magazine,” said Tim Bailey, Blue Frog Solar co-founder. “Washington’s thriving solar industry is a great story, and we’re proud to be among the many local businesses working to build a clean-energy future for our state.”

Microinverters are a key component of residential and commercial photovoltaic systems, converting the DC current generated by rooftop solar panels into AC current useable by households and the general grid.

Blue Frog has also teamed up with Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union and area solar vendors to offer the Simple Solar program, a complete solar financing, equipment and installation package.

We’re pleased to announce that we’re partnering with APS America on A+ Rewards, an outstanding new rebate program that will give you cash back for purchasing your Blue Frog/APS microinverters.

Every APS YC500-MIW microinverter you purchase from Blue Frog between March 1 and May 31, 2015, will earn you $10 back from APS. Show proof of purchase through the APS rebate website installer-rebate.aplus-rewards.com, and APS will send you a Visa® Gift Card with $10 value added for every microinverter purchased during that period.

Blue Frog is leading the way with a new website for our Simple Solar program. You’ll find everything you need to sell solar to homebuilders and homeowners. The website is a one-stop shop financing, equipment and installation.

Check out www.bfsimplesolar.com and see what Simple Solar has to offer – and pass the link along to anyone you know who’s thinking of going solar. Blue Frog’s got the all-in-one package they’re looking for.

Green manufacturing leaders like itek are helping the state meet the challenge of carbon emissions, the governor said, as he highlighted his vision for incentives for clean technology and transportation, and investment in energy efficiency statewide.

“I’ve seen companies in Washington moving full steam ahead to seize these opportunities and create jobs,” Gov. Inslee said. “Itek in Bellingham is not only one of our state’s largest solar panel manufacturers, but produces the most powerful solar panels in the industry.”

Blue Frog Solar, LLC has made reasonable efforts to provide accurate and timely information about the products on this site, but you should not assume that the information provided is always up to date or that this site contains all relevant information available about the products featured here.